Improvement in divided-nut devices for feed-screws



UNITED STATES OFFICE.

FRANK A. HUNTINGTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DlVIDED-NUT DEVICES FOR FEED-SCREWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,626, dated October14, 1873 application filed May 3, 1873.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK'A. HUNTING TON, ofSan Francisco city and county, State and it is more especiallyapplicable to the nuts which are employed upon the feed-screw for thehead-blocks of saw-mill carriages. These are made in two parts, so thatthey can be opened after the log has been run up, and the head-block canbe instantaneously moved back to receive another log, without waiting tomove it back by the slow operation of the screw.

My invention consists in the employment of double-inclined planes, whichoperate upon the two halves of the nuts by means of lugs, so as to openand close them. A suitable lever operates the inclined planes from theoutside.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device. Fig. 2 is anend view. Fig. 3'is a transverse section of the head-block, showing thedevice. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section.

A is the head-block of a saw-mill carriage, and B is the screw by whichit is fed gradually forward as each cut of the log is made. This screwoperates through a nut, C, which is made in two parts. These parts areopened when the head-block has been fed close up to the saw, and thusthe screw is freed from the nut, and the block can be moved back at onceto allow a new log to be placed.

In order to open and close this nut rapidly and firmly, I employ adouble-inclined plane, consisting of two legs, D D, spreading out fromeach other like a fork, as shown. One leg D passes outside of each halfof the nut, and, as these legs are made thick and stiff, a light flangeupon their outside edges is made to pass beneath the bent lugs E, whichare cast upon each half-nut. Arms F F extend up ward from the half-nuts,and are hinged together at some point above, as shown at G. The inclinedplanes have an arm, H, extending upward .through the block A, and thisarm is pinned to a lever, I, by which it is moved up or down. When it isnecessary to open the nut, the lever is simply raised. This movementraises the arm H and the inclined planes, which, by their increasedspread at the bottom, operate on the lugs E, thus separating the twohalves of the nut.

A spring, J, or other suitable device may be employed to retain thelever I in its elevated position until the head-block has been run back.The nut is closed by'pressing down upon the lever I, the approachingsides of the planes thus pressing the half-nuts together. At the pointwhere the inclined planes have closed the halves of the nut, the planesmay be made parallel for a short distance, or the upper part of the forkmay be finished by'a half-circle, so that there will be no tendency ofthe planes to slip up and allow the halves of the nut to open at thewrong time.

My device is applicable to lathes and other machinery in which'longfeed-screws are employed, where it is sometimes necessary to move thescrew or nut quickly.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the divided nut C, the inclined planes D D, whenconstructed to operate upon the half-nuts by means of the lugs E, or anequivalent device, substantially as and for the purpose hereindescribed.

2. The inclined planes D D, having the arm H, in combination with theoperating-lever I, when constructed to open and close the halfnuts C,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. In combination with the arm H of the inclined planes D D and thelever I, the spring J for retaining the planes in an elevated position,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal.

FRANK ATWOOD HUNTINGTON. [L. 5.] WVitnosses JOHN L. BOONE, G. M.RICHARDSON.

